April is National Poetry Month, created in April of 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to highlight the importance of poetry to the world. Join Poetry@Tech in celebrating poetry and National Poetry Month at Georgia Tech!
Poetry@Tech’s National Poetry Month Activities
Stay tuned for more activities as the month goes on!
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Activities
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Yard Signs
Experience poetry all around campus – read what defines a poem and poetry excerpts from poets such as Ada Limón, Audre Lorde, Lucille Clifton, and Victoria Chang.
President Cabrera Poem Reading
Hear President Ángel Cabrera read us a poem.
"What is a Poem?"
We asked Georgia Tech students "What is a Poem?" Hear their answers and their poetry readings of their favorite poems.
Curated Books of Poetry
The Library will display a curated selection of poetry books near the Popular Reading area on the first floor of Price Gilbert Memorial Library.
A Brief History of Poetry@Tech
The origins of Poetry@Tech date back to the 1990s and generous donations from the late Margaret T. and Henry C. Bourne and from business person and current Ivan Allen College Advisory Board member H. Bruce McEver.
McEver’s generosity brought renowned poet Thomas Lux to campus as a visiting writer, and the Bournes’ endowment of a permanent chair in poetry made him a lasting, and legendary, figure on campus.
“Part of my mission at Georgia Tech has been to make the point over and over again — there is not any contradiction between engineering or business or whatever and poetry," Lux said in an interview with Atlanta journalist Paula Gordon. “They can coexist. And they can even strengthen each other.”
Formally founded in 2001, Poetry@Tech has reinforced that point ever since, exposing numerous engineering, computing, business, literature, and media students each year to the extraordinary power and beauty of language.
Since Lux’s passing in 2017, two internationally esteemed poets – Ilya Kaminsky and now Victoria Chang – have proudly held the Margaret T. and Henry C. Bourne Chair in Poetry at Georgia Tech.
In addition to teaching poetry to students, Poetry@Tech has brought poetry to Atlanta with dozens of readings, classes, and other outreach efforts over the years, many of them organized by Associate Director Travis Denton, himself a noted poet and editor of Terminus, Poetry@Tech’s literary magazine.
Events
Poetry@Tech Then and Now
April 4, 6 – 8 p.m.
Poetry Performance Workshop
April 18, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Led by Sam Sax as part of the Arts@Tech Festival
National Poetry Month Reading
April 18, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Featuring Carl Phillips, Sam Sax, and Jessica Tanck. Reception with light snacks at 6 p.m. followed by the reading at 7 p.m.
Get Involved!
Each year, Poetry@Tech organizes programs to promote poetry and poetics. Our acclaimed poetry reading series has introduced audiences to hundreds of legendary poets and critics, including Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, MacArthur 'Genius' Grant recipients, and other beloved authors. We also host workshops, craft talks, conversations about poetry, Atlanta-wide poetry festivals, poet-in-school programs, and other activities. Check out videos of all our past poetry readings.
We also offer courses in poetry and creative writing at Georgia Tech. Subscribe to our email list to have the latest Poetry@Tech news and events delivered straight to your inbox (on an infrequent, not spam-y basis)!
All our events are free to attend and, unless specified, open to the public.